pre-move visit

CHECK OUT BUCK ISLAND WHILE YOU HERE

Dear Darren,

I presume JIM is advocating a Buck Island snorkel excursion!

Although I'm on St. Thomas, it seems to me that you've pretty much covered your bases in using your STX PMV to the max degree. We're rather embedded in slow season right now but there are certainly people on STX who contribute to this board and who will probably welcome you with open arms- so where are you Crucian folks to give Darren some help?

What is your time frame for the move after the PMV. The housing/job market change quickly. What may be here when you are on pmv may be gone when you get here. What is your style of living and your budget? Do you get a housing stipend? Do you get a stipend for your child's schooling?

Do you have pets? What do you consider a long, inconvenient commute to work? What part of the island will you be working? Will your wife work? What do you like to do socially? What is your wife used to? Do you like houses really close together or more spread out? Or do you prefer your "neighbor" to be 1/4 mile away? Do you mind a condo or do you want a house? How many bedrooms can you live with?

Does your wife/you cook from scratch or are you frozen/fast food people? Do you mind a 5-10 minute drive down the hill with another 10-15 to get to a store or do you want to live close to everything. How important is the sea views?

Some of these may sound silly, but after having come on my PMV and deciding not to leave, and having had a very solid agenda when I came some of these are things that I have learned can really make or break your experience. If you work mid-island/East (as much as I love Frederiksted and promote it) it would be long daily to commute home to the west side. (On a good day/time you can make Frederiksted from Christiansted in 1/2 hour.) But what took me 20 minutes to get to work before school started just went up to 35-40 minutes because of the difference of traffic patterns. And I have adjusted my time I head in because I don't relish sitting in traffic at 5 corners light for 3 or 4 lights on my way in to work. Or at the areas just before/around the schools while I wait for parent's to turn or drop off kids.

Just some things to think about.

Darren,
If you're on island on a Saturday night, stop by Off the Wall over by Cane Bay. Some of us are there about every Saturday night. Get there before sunset and get a free sunset shot. Good luck on your trip.

Ric

Darren-

Linda is right about the commuting - when we looked at maps of the island, 20 miles didn't seem so far..."it's an island, how bad can it be? 20 minutes?" Oh, no, so wrong....We rented east of center island, and my husband works in F'sted - and the commuting is a royal pain. The roads are very winding and you just have to trust that people will get on their side before they smack you head on. Driving at night can be your worst nightmare. Try to find something reasonably close to where you are working and I think you'll be more comfortable in the long run. For all of the laid back attitudes, people sometimes get a little crazy in their cars!

We've just been here a couple of months - well, my husband has, I've been here a couple of weeks - we dearly love it so far. We have found that we will be more comfortable toward the west end of the island, not just because of the commuting, but because of the terrain...we rented what we could find because of dogs, and we're okay with it, but one day we will find someone very pet-friendly more toward where we want to be and we will make yet another move.

Network, network on finding a school and a place to rent - we tell everyone we can that we will need long-term housing that is pet-friendly in the future, you can never tell who knows what.

Good luck, and write privately if you need info on car insurance, grocery stores, etc. Everyone has an opinion, but most everyone is glad to give it to you - free, of course!

Sam

Darren, Linda and I have been on island for about 3 weeks now, but we'd also be happy to give you our impressions of what the move for us has been like. We've been very busy with the house since our arrival, but have been able to get around the island a little bit. As Ric suggested, an early evening Saturday visit to OTW is a can't miss activity. Feel free to contact us.

Mike

This island seems so much bigger once you are on it and trying to get around. We still don't have a car, and trust me, you really need one. Although we both live within walking distance of work, you still need to be free to run your errands without having to pay for a cab, or pray for a bus. I highly reccomend having a car for your PMV, no matter what and just spend a lot of time driving around. We learned more touring the island for a day with a friend than we had all week previously.

Choose CAREFULLY, when you decide to leave the east end! I would recomend the south shore around Union MT Washington as the furhtest west you would want to get. There are other areas but I have never been a big FSTED fan.

It is getting nicer but I still give it a few years (10) before moving out there. Find someone you really know that lives out there and ask them where they would reccomend.

Move to a spooky place and the commute seems trivial.

The last post was for Becky's comment on the commute.

To answer your question about the police.... yes of course they are the good guys. There are people who have problems with sobriety and they for the most part will not agree with me.

I have seen some posts here about some one friend said this and that ..... stories. Moslty BS or drunken confrontations where if they were Stateside they would experience the same thing.

When you hear a story imagine what the other side would say. Then formulate an opinion.

All the best you'll love it!

If all the farther you go is Mt. Washington then you will just see the dry,hot,and rich ,white of St.Croix. Most deffinately go to Fredricksted. Then you will see the real St.Croix. I've lived on St.Croix for over two years and bought a house near Fredricksred 18 months ago. Not one problem. If you dont go looking for trouble you will not find trouble. Everywhere on St. Croix is safe in the day time. Just be careful where you are at night. Dont be in the neighborhood called Welcome (Christiansted) or Cotton Valley(East end) after dark. This doesnt mean dont go to F'Sted at night. There are some cool places to see. Lost Dog for Pizza is the best on the Island. I surely hope that All Islands(AI) is not just trying to keep the best beaches for the locals. We need people form other places to go back and tell the world what great oprotunities the west end of St.Croix has to offer.Some people just seem to not be able to see through the color barrier. Like AI. The best beaches are also on the West end. I have a strong feeling thet AI is very new to STX and does not know what he/she is talking about. Dont take any more advece from AI.

The west end of the island is a little larger than the area of F'sted proper. There are areas on the east end you don't have any business in too. I HAVE asked people on the west end about living there - and guess what? They love it there and wouldn't live anywhere else on the island.

F'sted itself has great potential and is up and coming. I think your estimate of 10 years is about 5 years off base. But please remember that the entire western half of the island is considered to be under "F'sted" jurisdiction, from the north to the south shores - look at your pocket map and you will see the jurisdiction line.

All Islands, I think you are possibly prejudicing people against a very lovely area with some very lovely people. There are jerks and lowlife everywhere, let's don't put them just on one end of the island. To each his own.

Where in Cotton Valley should you stay out of at night? CV includes some very nice neigborhoods?

Jim W

AAron,

I have been a property owner in St. Croix for over a decade. We have land in F'Sted. Did I mention once about race? What makes you instantly assume I am white? Read some of my posts and see where my perspective on race lies.

Now, Cotton Valley? You couldn't find anything east of Welcome to pick on.... Welcome is west of MT Washington.

Mt. Washington is where the rich white folks live? 🙂 I'm sorry if you bought a house in F'sted and have not anjoyed any real increase in you property value and are now mad at people who explain why that is.

There are really nice areas in between spots in the west end and I mentioned that the poster should CHOOSE CAREFULLY. I do want to apologize about the sarcastic tone which may come accross as flippant. So in closing what you are saying is that if you want to live in the West you will be safe if you stay indoors after dark? Nice.

Relax AI. By the way my property values have increased $40,000 in the last two years. That is 32.5%. I 'am also going to do more investing in the west end. Lets have some friendly competition over the next 10 years and see who makes more in the realestate market on St.Croix. You or me.

Thank you everyone for feedback. We'll be there on Sept. 27 for ou big pre-move visit. Wish us luck. Best regards, Darren

Best of luck with your PMV. Hopefully things will go well and you'll soon be stepping into life in Paradise with a smile on your face.

When would your job begin on STX?

Your on aaron. But for now you are 200k behind. Let me know when you hit in the 7 digits of gain for a 12 month period.

20 k = 32.5% ??? you must have a really nice fixer upper. Keep on truckin.

Had you made that same investment on the east end you would have seen more. That is a fact.

I am relaxed and blessed. I believe you let it rip first.

I had some time to think about this anyway after I posted. I actually do like F'sted.

South Beach was a no-no spot not that long ago too.

Good luck on your quest for domination. You will not be alone.

Prove it AI. Prove your profit and I will believe you. As of now those are just words. This is a friendly game isnt it? This is a 10 year plan. Not 12 months. Keep in touch. E-mail me AI.

Hello Alexander,
Pre-move visit went well. At this time I do not Know when I'll be moving to St.Croix. I think it will be soon, next couple of months. Since you are in realestate we'll need to rent a house. 2 bedroom, a/c, allowes house cats. Must be nice, furnished, in a quiet safe neighborhood. Why not? 1,300 hundred a month tops. Thanx. Over and out. Darren

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions. I have lived in some VERY nice neighborhoods here on stx. Having recently moved, I know live in what is considered Welcome. I live in Flamboyant Welcome. The Welcome area is the area located across the road from Gallows Bay - like behind the Conataga(spelling) Ball Park. Some of this area is older = some might call it seedy looking. You drive by houses that aren't kept up - you drive by some that are very nicely kept up. It is an older neighborhood - the biggest negative I have found is the abundance of barking dogs. When my fan isn't on - it is amazing at how much noise those yipping dogs make.

But I am currently without wheels -so I walk unless it rains - to Schooner Bay Market to catch a ride to work - and I live at the back of the neighborhood. I don't have any problems. Would I rather live in a play like Shoys or Buccaneer Bay? Maybe - if I wanted to trade inconveniences.

Every area has its draw and it negatives. Talk to people who live there. You could have some crappy neighbor in a really nice neighborhood. Heck - that's what caused me to move - landlord in beautiful house became totally wacked.

Be aware of what you want - there are 3 houses for sale right around the place I live - one is a 4 br that I personally wouldn't move into - just not curb appealing to me - that's going for $130,000. The one across the street I would be interested in - don't know how much that is - but it has a separate apartment in the bottom. Choices - just know what you want.

Like someone said once on here - You may have lived in a nice suburb and drove to your store, church, work - and never had to leave the nice areas. Here - while doing those same things you will pass by everything - nice areas, homeless, street peddlers, run down neighborhoods.

Just getting to Hibiscus Beach to go to dinner you have to drive through a less than perfect area. But do you forgo a fabulous dinner and view because you don't want to drive thru that?

I am done ranting. Just (one of) my opinion(s)!

Arriving 10/15 with my wife for our PMV. We have been looking for a tropical locale for retirement and somehow our research led us to St Croix - it's American, not so crowded as Tom, not so exclusive as John. Perfect for us. We have been searching the world. Made several trips to Hawaii (my old home) - too far away from our East Coast friends and family and WAY too expensive!

I'm half Italian, half hillbilly redneck (Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia). My wife is Mexican-American. Thus, we enjoy and embrace cultural and racial diversity, rather than fear it. That's not to say we want to live in a neighborhood where we are an instant mugging target. We just make friends easily.

The biggest question I have is is there a lot of animosity amongst long-time residents (especially those born on STX) towards newcomers? In Hawaii, it's like a pecking order - "oh, you only arrived here last year? I was here five days before you, therefor I am superior to you." It's weird!

Thanks in advance for all your advice and comments. We really look forward to this trip!

The natives tend to be a little "wait and see" with new arrivals, but I haven't come across anything where there is one-upmanship about who arrived first among the transplants who live here. Most of the people who have relocated here over the years are readily accepting of newcomers and do what they can to make them feel welcome, including showing them around, inviting them to gatherings, informing them about popular hang-outs, etc. It's easy to make some friends upon arriving and then you can expand your social circle the longer you are here, including natives as time goes on and they see you as someone who is going to stick around.

Welcome to the island. If you have questions you think I might be able to answer, just ask.

Tee-

It seems there is a LITTLE bit of standoffish-ness from some of the islanders...you have to remember, they see seasonal workers and industry workers come and go constantly, so until they are used to seeing your face regularly, you're "just another pretty face"!

Interestingly, we've had a few people hold us at arm's length until we mentioned we are here on a minimum 5 year contract - and then it's just a different story. Needless to say, I use that line liberally now!

As far as the statesiders that are here, each of us has learned our own lessons, and each of us have learned from those who came before. We share - and if a bit of bravado creeps in, it's only because we are proud of ourselves for adapting thus far! I can honestly say, though, I feel there are a number of people I have met through this board that are on STX that if I needed them, they would come a-runnin'...

Give us a head's up right before you get here...there's a gang that meets at Off The Wall on the north shore on Sat. nights...very loosely formed gang, whoever just shows up whenever...but we'll make a special effort to get with you if you give us some notice!

Cool! Thanks much, Alex and Becky! We fly in on the 15th, staying until the 22d. Staying at Hotel on the Cay in Christiansted Harbor. When do you all hang out at OTW? I hear it's the place to be.